Golf club shaft insert assembly

Abstract

An insert assembly for use with a golf club shaft including an insert and an insert lock.

1. An insert assembly for use with a golf club shaft having an inner surface, a shaft butt end defining an outer diameter and a shaft tip end defining an inner diameter and an outer diameter that is less than the shaft butt end outer diameter, the insert assembly comprising:
 a tapered shaft insert including a tapered outer surface, an insert butt end defining an outer diameter and an insert tip end defining an outer diameter that is less than the insert butt end outer diameter and is greater than the shaft tip end inner diameter; and 
 an insert lock, including a base with a threaded lumen that is permanently secured to the tapered shaft insert, associated with the tapered shaft insert butt end and configured to be removably secured to the inner surface of the golf club shaft while the tapered outer surface engages the inner surface of the of the golf club shaft. 
 
   
   
     2. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tapered shaft insert comprises a graphite tapered shaft insert. 
   
   
     3. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the tapered outer surface of the graphite tapered insert includes a soft coating. 
   
   
     4. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the soft coating comprises a soft polyurethane based coating. 
   
   
     5. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the insert lock is permanently secured to the insert butt end. 
   
   
     6. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the insert lock includes an expandable member. 
   
   
     7. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the threaded lumen comprises a longitudinally threaded lumen. 
   
   
     8. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tapered insert defines a length and is tapered over its entire length. 
   
   
     9. An insert assembly for use with a golf club shaft having an inner surface, the insert assembly comprising:
 a tapered shaft insert defining a butt end; and 
 an insert lock associated with the tapered shaft insert and configured to be removably secured to the inner surface of the golf club shaft, the insert lock including a base carried by the butt end of the tapered shaft insert, a cap that is longitudinally movable relative to the base and defines a butt end which faces away from the base and in the same direction as the butt end of the tapered shaft insert and includes a butt end connector that is configured to mate with a tool in response to rotation of the tool and a butt end slot, and a resilient member between a portion of the base and a portion of the cap. 
 
   
   
     10. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the cap is operably connected to the base such that rotation of the cap relative to the base results in longitudinal movement of the cap relative to the base. 
   
   
     11. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the tapered shaft insert comprises a graphite tapered shaft insert. 
   
   
     12. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the insert lock is permanently secured to the tapered shaft insert. 
   
   
     13. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the tapered insert defines a length and is tapered over its entire length. 
   
   
     14. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the resilient member defines a shape selected from the group comprising a torus, a toroid, and an annular disk. 
   
   
     15. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the resilient member and the base are not integral with one another. 
   
   
     16. An insert assembly for use with a golf club shaft having an inner surface, the insert assembly comprising:
 a tapered shaft insert defining a butt end; and 
 an insert lock associated with the tapered shaft insert and configured to be removably secured to the inner surface of the golf club shaft, the insert lock including a base carried by the butt end of the tapered shaft insert, a cap that is operably connected to the base such that rotation of the cap relative to the base results in longitudinal movement of the cap relative to the base and defines a butt end which faces away from the base and in the same direction as the butt end of the tapered shaft insert and includes a butt end connector and a butt end slot, and a resilient member between a portion of the base and a portion of the cap; 
 wherein the cap includes a threaded cap connector and the base includes a correspondingly threaded base connector. 
 
   
   
     17. An insert assembly for use with a golf club shaft having an inner surface, the insert assembly comprising:
 a shaft insert; and 
 an insert lock, associated with the shaft insert and configured to be removably secured to the inner surface of the golf club shaft, including
 a base with a threaded base connector, 
 a cap with a first threaded cap connector, which is configured to mate with the threaded base connector such that rotation of the cap relative to the base results in longitudinal movement of the cap relative to the base, and a second threaded cap connector, the threads of the first threaded cap connector being oriented in a different direction than the threads of the second threaded cap connector, and 
 a resilient member between a portion of the base and a portion of the cap. 
 
 
   
   
     18. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the shaft insert comprises a graphite shaft insert. 
   
   
     19. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the insert lock is permanently secured to the shaft insert. 
   
   
     20. An insert assembly for use with a golf club shaft having an inner surface, the insert assembly comprising:
 a graphite shaft insert including a soft polyurethane based coating; and 
 an insert lock, associated with the graphite shaft insert and configured to be removably secured to the inner surface of the golf club shaft, including
 a base, 
 a cap, which is longitudinally movable relative to the base, defining a butt end that faces away from the base and includes a threaded butt end connector and a butt end slot, and 
 a resilient member between a portion of the base and a portion of the cap. 
 
 
   
   
     21. An insert assembly as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the insert lock is permanently secured to the shaft insert.